House GOP targets state’s tough emission standards

Taking advantage of a spike in gasoline prices, House Republicans are moving rapidly to gut California’s landmark controls on greenhouse-gas emissions from cars as a way to prevent the tougher state standards from spreading nationwide.

The legislation, HR910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act, would revoke the Environmental Protection Agency’s authority to grant California the federal waivers it needs to impose tougher fuel-efficiency requirements based on carbon emissions.

“This really is a shocking attack on states’ rights and on public health,” said Stanley Young, a spokesman for the California Air Resources Board, which is working on emissions standards for cars that would take effect in 2017. He estimated that the bill could roll back scheduled cuts in pollution and petroleum consumption by 25 percent nationwide.